Semi-automatic signal mechanism.



R. G. BALCAEN. SEMI-AUTOMATIC SIGNAL MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILEDO0T.16, 1912.

1,1 00,8 1 7, Patented June 23, 19M

A T ZJRNEY COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0" WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

RAOUL G. BALGAEN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAYSIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW' YORK.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed October 16, 1912. Serial No. 726,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAoUL G. BALCAEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe andState of New York, have in vented a new and useful Semi-Automatic SignalMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dynamic indication electric interlocking.

The primary object of this invention is to supply an existing want,to-wit; a means for controlling a semi-automatic dynamic indicationsignal, which will allow all parts of the controlling mechanism to bereturned directly to normal indication position or to normal positionfrom reverse position after a train which has accepted a signalcontrolled thereby has passed either into or beyond the sectioncontrolled by the signal, without necessitating constant attention tothe controlling means by an operator there- ,of, and withoutnecessitating any radical change either in the well known signals usedfor automatic block signaling in which a motor armature rotatesbackwardly with the semaphore blade, or in the well known manuallyoperated levers as now used in dynamic indication electric interlocking;and will also prevent the lever from being moved to the reverse positionwhile the track circuit section controlled by the signal is occupied.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of theinvention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings; wherein I have illustrated a preferred physicalembodiment of my invention, and wherein like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a well known form of electricdynamic indication lever with my improvement applied thereto with oneside of the lever guide being removed to more clearly show theconstruction; Fig. 2, is a sectional View, on the line AB of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, is a sectional view, onthe line CD of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 1, isa schematic illustration of my improved lever connected to a signalwhich controls a track circuit sec- Referring to Fig. 1, numeral 1designates the grip of a lever, 2, which is mounted and adapted to slidein a lever guide 3. The end of the lever opposite to that on which thegrip 1 is fastened, has a rod 1 attached thereto shown also in Fig. 4:serving as a connection between the lever and circuit controllers to belater described. The lever 2 has formed therein a cam slot 5 which isintended to serve as the actuating means for a roller 6, which may beconnected in the well known and approved manner with the well knownmechanical locking which is present in all interlocking machines forswitching and signaling purposes. As is well known, the mechanicallocking serves as a means for constraining each of a bank of levers composed of a number of levers such as 2, to movement in a predeterminedsequence. A lever 2 has certain notches with two projectionstherebetween formed in its lower edge designated as 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and12. Beneath the lever 2 and in the same plane therewith, but supportedby the lever guide 3, is situated the latch 13, spring pressed to theposition as shown by the spring 1 1, and pivoted at 15; the dog 16pivoted at 17 which has an upper arm 18 adapted to at times lie beneaththe end 19 of the latch 13, and which also has a lower arm 20 lying inthe path of movement of the rod 21; the cam 22 pivoted at 23 and havingthe spring member 24 bearing there against in such a way that it will beheld resiliently in either one of the positions to which it may bemoved. Attached to the lower surface of the lever guide 3 is theindication magnet 25, having an armature-26 which is connected to andadapted to move the rod 21.

All of the mechanism heretofore described ing in the direction of thearrow a by causing it to abut against the lever guide as shown in Fig.2. Against one side of this abutment, a spring 28 bears, the other endof the spring bearing against the rear end ,of the slot 5 at 29. Bymaking spring 29 of the proper length as will be obvious it will notexert force against the lever 2 when the lever is in the normalindication position. By making the spring longer it may be caused toexert force against the lever until it has moved entirely to the normalposition.

Unlike the type of lever described in the patent to Taylor hereinbeforementioned applicants lever has its top edge formed into a series ofnotches and serrations and just above the lever, mounted to any fixedobject, is the electro-magnet 30. This electromagnet has an armature 31pivoted at 32 in operative relation therewith. The armature has twoarms, one of which extends to the right as shown in Fig. 1 and isdesignated as 33, the other extending to the left and designated as 34.The arm 33 bears a projection 35, which fits into the notch 36 formed inthe upper edge of the lever 2. When the armature 31 is in the upperposition, the projection 35 is raised so as to just clear the top edgeof the lever 2. The arm 34 is depressed when the electro-magnet isenergized and under such conditions either bears upon the bottom of thenotch 37 or against one of the teeth 38 formed in the upper edge of thelever 2.

With all of the parts in the position as shown in Fig. 1, it will beimpossible to move the lever 2 in the direction of the arrow 6 byexerting force upon the grip 1, but if electro-magnet 30 were energized,the member 35 would be withdrawn from the notch 36 and then the levercould be moved toward the reverse position.

After a certain movement of the lever toward the reverse position, thearm 34 would bear against the teeth 38 and further movement of the leverwould require a slight elevation of the end of arm 34 so that the teeth38, together with the lever 2 could continue their movement. Theelevation of arm 34 would take place by reason of the pressure exertedby the teeth against arm 34, but as soon as the tooth which caused theraising of arm 34 passed beyond the end of the arm, the electro-magnet30 would cause a depression of arm 34 so that it would bear in the notchbetween the teeth 38. The relation of the parts is such that when leverhas been moved to'the full reverse position the arm 34 would rest in anotch between the teeth 38 and if the electro-magnet 30 were stillenergized, would hold the lever 2 in the moved position against theaction of spring 28 tending to return the lever toward the normalposition. If electro-magnet 30 should become deenergized, however, the

spring 28, acting through the teeth upon the upper edge of lever 2,would force arm 34 upwardly, so that the teeth would be freed therefrom.The curvature of the end of lever 34 is made such, that the spring 28can, acting through teeth 38, actually force arm 34 upwardly unlesselcctromagnet 30 is energized, and the pressure which may be exerted byan operator's hand on the grip 1 is also sufficient to return the leverto the normal indication position even if magnet 30 is energized.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, if lever 2 is moved from areverse posh tion toward the normal position, it will. be stopped at thenormal indication position by means of latch 13 until an indicationcurrent flows through eleetro-magnet 25. hen lever 2 is stopped byreason of the indication mechanism at the normal indication position,the electro-n'iagnet 30 being deenergized, the member 35 will fall bygravity into the notch 39, which it will be seen is formed with a squareshoulder 40 and a sloping surface 41, so that although the lever 2,after an indication has been received may be forced either by hand or bymeans of spring 28 to the full normal position, it cannot be movedtoward the reverse position unless electro-magnet 30 is first energized.The reason for preventing a movement toward the reverse position unlesselectro-magnct 30 is energized, will be later pointed out.

In Fig. 4, applicant has diagrammatically illustrated the ordinary andwell known track circuit section A, having connected therewith the relayR, which includes an armature 42. In Fig. 4, all of those parts whichhave been specifically described, by referring to Fig. 1, have beenshown in a schematic manner and designated by the same numerals thatwere used to designate them in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4, a semaphore arm 43, which governs traflic over the section A,has been shown. This arm is moved to and held in an operated position bymeans of a motor such as has been fully shown and described in thepatent to Winthrop K. Howe, $51,024,853, dated April 30, 1912. In Fig.4, the operating field coils for such motor have been designated by 44and 45, and the holding field coils by 46 and 47, the brushes beingdesignated by 48 and 49 and the armature by 50. In order to control theoperating and holding circuits the ordinary and well known circuitbreaker has been shown conventionally and consists of fixed metallicstrips 51, 52, 53 and 54 and the movable metallic connecting members 55and 56. The movable members 55 and 56 are connected to and moved withthe semaphore arm 43 and are so located that when the arm 43 is in thenormal biased position as shown in Fig. 4, the member 55 electricallyconnects strips 51 and 52, but when the arm 43 is moved to an operatedposition the member 56 electrically connects strips 53 and 54 and theconnection between strips 51 and 52 becomes broken.

57 designates a source of current and 58, 59, 60 and 61 designateconducting springs which, as is well understood by those skilled in theart, are adapted to be electrically connected at times by the movableconducting member 62.

With all of the parts as shown in Fig. 4 and with no train upon therails of the track circuit section A, electro-magnet 30 will beenergized through the following circuit: positive terminal of battery57, wires 68 and 67, electro-magnet 30, wire 66, armature 42, and wires65, 64 and 63 to the negative terminal of the battery 57. Under suchconditions the lever 1 may be moved toward the reverse position bygrasping the grip 1 and exerting force in the direction of the arrow 5.The lever will not be stopped at the reverse indication position as itwould have been if the indication mechanism had been constructed exactlyin accordance with the mechanism shown in the Taylor patent heretoforementioned because in the con struction herein shown, applicant has addeda projection 69 to the dog 16, so that the dog after being moved to aposition under latch 13, is afterward moved out from under the end oflatch 13 by the end of cam 22 striking the projection 69.

When the lever reaches the full reverse position a circuit is formed inwhich current flows as follows: positive terminal of the battery 57,wire 68, contact spring 59,bridge 62, contact spring 58, wires 70, 71and 72, strip 51, movable conducting member 55, strip 52, wire- 73,field coil 44, wire 7 4, field coil 45, wire 75, brush 49, armature 50,brush 48, wires 64, and 63 to the negative terminal of the battery.Current flowing in the above traced path causes the armature to revolveand move the semaphore arm 43 to an operated position, whereupon movablemember breaks the connection between strips 51 and 52 and movable member56 makes contact between the strips 53 and 54, so that a holding circuitwhich holds the signal in the operated position is formed in whichcurrent flows as follows: positive terminal of the battery 57, wire 68,contact 59, bridge 62, contact spring 58, wires 70, 71 and 77, strip 53,movable member 56, strip 54, wire 78, holding coil 47, wire 79, holdingcoil 46, operating coil 44 now acting as a holding coil, wire 74,operating coil 45 now acting as a holding coil, wire 75, brush 49,armature 50, brush 48, and wires 76, 64 and 63 to the negative terminalof the battery.

It should be noticed that unless electromagnet 30 had been energized thelever 2 could not have been moved at all for the projection 35 restingin notch 36 would have prevented any movement, but as electromagnet 30was energized a movment of the lever 2 was possible and the fact thatelectromagnet 30 was energized, was positive proof that track section Awas unoccupied by a train, for if it had been occupied by a train, forreasons well known, the armature 42 would have been in the lowerposition, thus breaking the circuit for the electro-magnet. Applicantsinvention therefore provides a means which prevents any movement at allof a signal controlling lever from normal position, unless the trackcircuit section controlled by the signal controlled by the lever, isunoccupied and is in proper condition to allow a train to enter thereinby virtue of the right given by a signal in the operated position.

When no train is in section A, and the lever 1 has been moved to thereverse position, it is held therein by the action of the arm 34 ashereinbefore described, so that after a lever has been moved to the fullreverse position and the signal controlled thereby has been placed in anoperated position, no further attention need be given the lever by theoperator thereof. If a train should enter upon the track section A,while the lever is in the reverse position and the signal is in theclear position, the lever will be immediately released so that thespring 28 can exert a force to move it to the normal indicationposition. This takes place by reason of the fact that the entrance ofthe train to the track section causes a deenergization of relay R,causing the armature 42 to drop and break the circuit through theelectro-magnet 30. As soon as the lever in moving toward the normalposition has moved such a distance that the bridge 62 moves from incontact with contact springs 58 and 59, the current flowing through theheretofore traced circuit to cause the signal to be held in the operatedposition, is cut ofi, and consequently the semaphore arm 43 moves towardthe normal position as shown in Fig. 4 by reason of its bias, and in sodoing causes the members 55 and 56 to be moved back to their originalposition and also causes the armature 50 of the motor to be rotatedbackwardly. As soon as bridge 62 connects contact springs and 61, acircuit is formed through indication magnet 25 in which currentgenerated by the backward rotation of the armature may flow as follows:armature 50, brush 48, wires 76, 64 and 80, indication magnet 25, wire81, contact spring 61, bridge 62, contact spring 60, wires 82, 71 and72, strip 51, movable member 55, strip 52, wire 73, operating coil 44,wire 74, operating coil 45, wire 75 and brush 49, to the other terminalof the armature 50. The current flowing in the above traced path willcause an energization of indication electro-inagnet 25, thereby causingthe armature 26 to be raised which being connected with rod 21 willcause said rod to be raised and the arm 20 of dog 16 to be struckthereby forcing the arm 18 from beneath the end of latch 13 so that thelever may be forced to the full normal position by hand or the sprlng 28may be made of such length that acting through lever 2 by means or"shoulder 9 it can force the latch 13 downwardly and cause the lever 2,instead of being held in the normal indication position by theengagemei'it of shoulder 9 with the latch 13, to move to the full normalposition, in which position it will be locked as long as the train isupon the track section A by reason of the dropping of projection 35 innotch 36.

As soon as the lever reaches the normal indication position in going tothe full normal position as above described, the projection 85 dropsinto the notch 39, and thereby prevents the lever 2 from again beingmoved toward the reverse position until electromagnet 30 becameenergized. This is done to prevent either an inadvertent or intentionalmoving of the lever 2 to the reverse position while a train is upontrack section A, and the signal is at the danger position. If the lever2 were moved to the full reverse position under such conditions, themechanical locking between the lever and other levers controlling othersignals, governing movements over the track circuit section A could bereleased, so that the other signal levers could be moved to the reverseposition, the signals controlled thereby moved to the operated positionand a train accepting such signals could crash into the train upon thetrack section A.

From the above description it will be seen that applicant has devised alever for controlling a signal which signal may be moved to the operatedposition, it track conditions are proper, and which signal will be movedto the danger position automatically by the entrance of a train upon thetrack circuit section controlled by the signal, and which lever embodiesmeans for automatically moving the lever to a position so that theindication current generated by the return of the signal to dangerposition will be eilective which lever embodies a'minimum of change fromthe type of signal controlling lever now in use in dynamic returnindication electric interlocking systems, and furthermore requires nochange in the type of signal now commonly used for automatic blocksignaling.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physicalembodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principlethereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the formselected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possiblephysical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a signal mechanism: a signal having an operated position and anormal biased position; an electric motor including :1 revolublearmature for moving said signal to the operated position; a trackcircuit section; a translating device including a movable armaturecontrolled by said track circuit section; a source of electro-motiveforce; a lock magnet; conductors connecting the lock magnet with thesource of electromotive force forming a normally closed circuitincluding the armature of the translating device; a movable lever havinga normal position, a normal indication position, and a reverse position;circuit coi'itrollers controlled by said lever; indication mechanism,including an electronmgnet, for controlling the movement of said leverfrom the normal indication position to the normal position; conductorsconnecting the clectro-niagnct ot the indication mechanism; the circuitcontrollers controlled by the lever; and the motor in a normally closedcircuit which is broken by the movement of the lever from normalposition to a position beyond normal indication position; conductorsconnecting the source of electro-motive force, the motor, and thecircuit controllers controlled by the lever in a circuit completed bythe circuit controllers controlled by the lever when the lever has beenmoved to the reversed position; circuit controllers controlled by thesignal inserted in the conductors forming the circuit including theindication electromagnet and in the circuit including the source ofcurrent and the motor, for completing the first named circuit when thesignal. is in the danger position and the second named circuit when thesignal is in the operated position; a force exerting device acting onsaid lever when in reversed position to move it auton'iatically towardnormal position; a two-ended locking member controlled by thelock-magnet; said lever having formed thereon notches and teeth, one endof said locking member fitting in a notch when the lever is in normalposition and the lock magnet is deenergized and. preventing movement ofthe lever, the other end of said lever fitting in said teeth when thelever is in reverse position and the lock magnet is energized andpreventing automatic movement of said lever toward nor mal position; thesaid one end fitting into another notch having one side sloping when thelever is in normal indication position for preventing a movement toreverse position of the lever but allowing a movement of the lever tonormal position.

2. A lever; means for manually moving said lever; said lever havingthree positions, a normal position, a normal indication position and areverse position; means connected to said lever for controllingmechanical op erations; means connected to said lever for controllingcircuits; means comprising indication mechanism for preventing at timesa movement of said lever from normal indication position to normalposition; means constantly acting against said lever when it is inreverse position to move it automatically toward normal position; a lockmagnet; means for controlling said lock magnet; a locking membercontrolled by said lock magnet having two operative parts; said leverhaving formed therein notches and teeth for cooperation with saidlocking member; one of the notches positioned for receiving one of theoperative parts of the locking member when in normal position when thelock magnet is deenergized thereby preventing movement of the lever;another of the notches having one side sloping and positioned to receivethe same operative part of the locking member when in normal indicationposition, thereby preventing a movement toward reverse position butallowing a movement to normal position, the teeth being positioned toreceive the other operative part of the locking member when in re versedposition, when the lock magnet is energized thereby preventing automaticmovement toward the normal position; said means constantly actingagainst the lever being strong enough to force the lever toward normalposition from reverse position when the lock magnet is deenergized; saidmeans for manually moving the lever capable of overcoming the lockingaction of said second named operative part of the looking member.

RAOUL Gr. BALOAEN.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN L. PHILLIPS, MINNIE A. LoI-rR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Batents, Washington, I). C.

